Ilona's frugal 2014

[anglynn]

I like your idea of using a wind up light for moving around. I have one because there is a possibility of the electric going out when there is a hurricane. Instead of storing it for special times, I think I will begin to use it like you do. I will be interesting to see how much money I can save with it.

The apples sound yummy!

[Meanqueen]

The four day veggie curry stew is finished. I added a half tin of baked beans to stretch it a bit further. Dinner tonight has been a portion of home made carrot soup from the freezer, with the left over egg noodles from yesterday.

I am going shopping tonight, in the hunt for yellow stickers, at the big supermarket. My fridge is bare, nothing left. I don't like shopping at the weekend, too busy, and more chance of finding reduced food on a weekday night.
Ilona

[Meanqueen]

Today my fridge is full, I did the supermarket dash last night. This should last another two weeks, with maybe a top up of eggs and yogurt in the middle. Some yellow stickers were to be had, healthy food from the veg department and not so healthy from the bakery. Bags of lettuce, prepared cabbage and leeks, roasting veggies at 10p and 13p. I can see soups and stews in abundance.

There was bread, I picked up three loaves to top up my freezer, 10p and 9p each. And I bought naughty donuts for 10p. I got an extra packet which I will give to the postmen this morning. I had to laugh, I got two medium size apple pies reduced to 10p, then handed over a coupon for 25p off, ha ha. So they paid me for taking them away.

I had £2.50 of vouchers to come off the total. Quorn pieces and sausages were on offer at half price, and I got 50p off as well. I topped up my nuts, they were the most expensive items, but as I don't eat meat I feel I can afford nuts instead.

Total shop cost £20.27 with the vouchers deducted. Briefly there was frozen green beans, two frozen £1 ready meals, which I split into two, and bulk out with veg. I got Bananas, tinned peaches, tinned rice pud, grapes, swede, spinach, broccoli, and other bits, including reduced turkey slices, and a tin of tuna, treats for the cats.

I'm off to my friends house now, we are going to walk her dog, and she has made some roasted butternut squash soup for lunch.
Ilona

[Spreckly]

I do envy you Ilona. We live a few miles from the nearest supermarket, so any saving would be soaked up in fuel. We shop once a week, get everything we need, and if we run out, tough, we do without.

Enjoy your food!

[Meanqueen]

I do envy you Ilona. We live a few miles from the nearest supermarket, so any saving would be soaked up in fuel. We shop once a week, get everything we need, and if we run out, tough, we do without.

Enjoy your food!

Yes, I am lucky, only 4.5 miles to Tes&co. I try and combine journeys, and call in if I am on my way back from somewhere else. Lucky that it's at the end of the motorway which just about everyone passes who comes into my town. Glad they don't all shop at the same time as me though. If I ever move I want to live within walking distance of a supermarket.
Ilona

[Meanqueen]

No spending today. I went to town yesterday to pay a couple of bills in the bank, and pick up some cat and dog food and treats. I go to the discount stores for these, Bee n em and Hoam Bargins, and have a look at the pet stall in the market because sometimes they get out of date stock at knock down prices.

I made another pan of veggie stew with the shredded cabbage and leeks, and sprouts. Just finished it off tonight with some pasta.

I am working on a rag rug at the moment, a cheap hobby using recycled materials. The backing is from inside a container. It's about ten years old, I was delivering containers from the docks and inside they use a strong netting to hold the load secure. I used to collect anything which was going to be thrown away if it could be useful later for something. It's ideal for the rugs. I have bought five teeshirts from the Age UK charity shop, at £1 each, and I'm also using some of my own old teeshirts that are past it. It's looking good so far.
Ilona

[Meanqueen]

Just dropping in. I am in the throes of eating whatever I have in, before I do another supermarket shop. Wanting to stretch one weeks shopping into two, by dipping into the store cupboard and freezer. Yesterday I made a fab dinner in about 15 minutes, I don't like to spend too much time in the kitchen. Chop a large onion, add a dozen or so chunks of Quorn, and a handful of frozen sweetcorn, cook in a splosh of sesame seed oil. Add a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard, a shake of mixed spice, a large splodge of tomato ketchup, and a splash of lemon juice. Then add the last of the pasta left over from yesterday. Serve on a bed of raw spinach. It was bloomin champion.

No money spent yesterday, I might go to town today, want to go to the library.
Ilona

[Meanqueen]

I've been to town this morning, in the car because I had stuff to carry. Got some books out of the library. Cat food and dog treats from beee n emmm. I picked up a small top up shop from Al-diddly. Butternut squash, broccoli, baby potatoes, iceberg lettuce, all 49p. I always search the bags of bananas, (1kg 68p), for a bag with nine small bananas in. Some of them only have seven big ones. I have them on my bran flakes and porridge, so I don't want big ones.

Other essentials, soft and hard cheese, eggs, and plain yogurt. I have treated myself to a bottle of chardonnay, a cheap one at £3.49. I can't tell the difference in wine, I shall sip it and pretend it cost a lot more. First wine since Christmas.

I also called in at a cash and carry I use. They sell a lot of biscuits, sweets, cakes, and fizzy drinks which I bypass, sometimes they have a bargain. I got eight packets of noodles for £1.

Here's a few ideas. I buy cartons of fruit juice, the basics or value, and dilute it 50/50 with water. You get double the amount of drinks. I sometimes buy £1 value frozen ready meals, and cut them in half with a bread knife while still frozen. Then only use half and bulk it out with lots of veg. Two meals out of one ready meal. I found a load of tins of oranges and grapefruit in the shop that stretches pounds. Reduced to 19p. I bought lots, and zap them with a stick blender, add water and I have a fruit drink at very low cost. You could do that with any cheap tins of fruit. I shop in an Asian shop when I want tins of chick peas, tomatoes, beans, and spices. I find it a cheaper than a supermarket. Mind you, beeee n emmmm and hoam bargins have chick peas four tins for £1.

Getting on with my rag rug for the rest of the day.
Ilona

[Meanqueen]

The bank statement arrived today, the balance is going in the right direction, up not down. Only a slight increase though because I've had some things to pay for, mainly car related.

Nothing much to pay for in the next month, then I will have a bit saved up for holidays.

The big supermarket has sent me some money off vouchers, not as many as usual though. I think they must have cottoned on to the fact I only every use the first one which is £4 off a £30 shop. All the others get binned. I have difficulty getting my spend up to £30 sometimes, I usually stock up on the store cupboard items tins, packets, and jars. For £4 I can get 18 jars of lemon curd, or 6 jars of peanut butter, or 4 boxes of bran flakes, or 5 bags of porridge oats, or 6 cartons of soya milk, or 26 tins of rice pudding, or 12 tins of peach slices, or 14 tins of baked beans. All things I eat anyway, might as well have them if they are free.
Ilona

[Meanqueen]

Why oh why did Brit Gas not wait a few more days for the final meter readings, rather than jumping the gun and sending me a bill with estimated readings. Normally I don't mind estimates, they are usually not far out, and will be rectified in the next quarterly bill. But I am closing my account with them and expecting a very small bill for the last few days of my contract. The final bill for gas came today, and their estimate was out, they now owe me money. I'm in credit by £33.19. There is no mention of how they are going to send this money to me. I suppose I'm going to have to ring them and ask for it. I will wait until I get the final electric bill, as that was over estimated as well, I should have some money coming back from that.

As I am a few quid in hand with my utilities, I have splashed out on an hour of heating tonight, ha ha. All this bad weather is keeping me indoors, good for the money saving.
Ilona

[Mo]

I know you will keep track on what is owed to you, but I think they said on Money Box the other week that some ulitities firm don't refund unless the customer asks - so they keep that money if people are not aware and awake.

[Meanqueen]

It's two weeks since I went supermarket shopping. I was thinking about going tonight, but I can't be bothered. Looking in the fridge there isn't much left, but there is quite a bit in the freezer, and I have some tins, and rice, and pasta in, so I am going to delay going to the supermarket until next week.

One thing I have noticed is that if I keep busy in and around the house, I don't think about going out to the shops. I reckon distraction is the key. Sometimes I think I will go to town, then think oh, I haven't time, I just want to finish this job or that project. Keeping my mind occupied, having a list of jobs to do, and I forget about spending money. I have only spent £1.50 since Monday, and that was my subs at the craft club.

We have a village shop but it's very rarely I go in these days. I used to put a couple of quid in my pocket if I went a walk around the village, just in case I fancied a bar of chocolate. I don't do that any more. My chocolate consumption is virtually nil now.
Ilona

[Meanqueen]

Hi, checking in. I still haven't been shopping. I usually go to town once a week and pick up odds and sods from the discount stores, as some things are cheaper in the likes of bee n emm and hoam bargins. I get coffee, sugar, cleaning products, cat litter, some cat food, and dog treats, from those type of shops, they are cheaper than the supermarkets. Mind you, the only cleaning products I get are cheap wash up liquid, and bleach for the lavvy's. I don't buy any fancy cleaners for this job and that job. Everything gets wiped with diluted wash up liquid. I was going to go to town today but I couldn't be bothered.

Yesterday I made a ratta2ee, my own invention with an out of date 20p packet sauce mix. It was more like a butternut squash stew, with potatoes, half a tin of mixed bean salad, an onion, and three handfuls of pasta spirals. I've just eaten a second portion, enough for tomorrow. By cooking three meals at the same time it saves on gas. Only need to warm it up in the microwave. I put the saucepan in the fridge in between each serving, and eat in on three consecutive days.

I haven't put any petrol in my car since the beginning of January when I filled it up to do a 180 mile round trip. I've been pottering about in it since, but there is still over a quarter of a tank left.

I plan on going to the BIG supermarket Tuesday or Wednesday. I can last a few more days by eating out of the cupboard and freezer. No money spent since Monday.
Ilona

[Meanqueen]

Had to give in and go to Mr Cohen's BIG supermarket last night, on the hunt for yellow stickers. There wasn't many to be had, all snapped up by the time I got there at 8pm. I will have to start going a bit earlier. Never mind, I got a few items reduced. Sprouts 13p, broccoli 10p, bean salad 21p, bag of casserole veg 14p, cucumber 4p, large Hovis loaf 30p, and 4 packs of teacakes 10p each.

I buy a lot of Value labels, in many cases they are just as good as the brand labels. Rice pudding 15p, peanut butter 62p, long life soya milk 59p, tomatoe ketchup 47p, soft cheese with garlic 60p, beetroot 39p, sultanas 84p, cottage cheese 64p, scones 49p, bags of potatoes, carrots, and onions.

Total shop was £40.26, I had a £4 off voucher to make it £36.26. £14 .72 was for cat food and cat treats. I have an elderly cat with a dodgy tummy and he likes chicken and tuna.

This should last me for two weeks, will have to get some eggs when I go to town. Lunch today was lettuce, half the bean salad, pickled onions, an 8p packet of noodles, topped with grated cheese. Luverly. I will cook the veg casserole and the broccoli tonight, they need eating in the next day or two.

I don't take a shopping list with me, I look for bargains, and base my meals around what I can buy cheap. I don't walk around a supermarket and think oooh I fancy this and that.

Hope you are all coping well. We can only do our best.
Ilona

[Richard]

Sounds like you've got it well sussed out Ilona